New risk maps help soybean farmers spot charcoal rot before it strikes

Charcoal rot, caused by the soilborne fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp), poses a serious threat to soybean health and harvests on a global scale. The disease thrives in dry, hot conditions and can quietly devastate crops before symptoms even appear. Now, researchers have developed high-resolution risk maps that predict where charcoal rot is most likely to occur—based on the soil beneath the surface.